Travel Blogs from Mizpe Ramon

We landed in Tel Aviv around 9:30 AM, retrieved our luggage and went through passport control. We met our first guide, Etan, and bus driver Ben and started our trip south through the Negev. We drove past Ashdod and Ashkelon...place names very familiar to me from last summer's rocket attacks from Gaza.

... Jonah ran away from God’s directions and ended up in the whale and later repented for his disobedience – hence Jonah is a big deal on Yom Kippur (Jonah, representing repentance), the holiest day of the year for Jews. FYI, Jonah was born in the town next to Nazareth. Elijah plays a huge roll at the Seder meal during each Passover. Elijah apparently is the “rock star” of Jewish prophets.

... waves, and of Jesus walking on the water. It is quite moving to hear and read these portions of Scripture while actually being in a boat on the actual sea where these miracles occurred; it was also quite moving to sing "When Peace Like a River" together in worship. It was a beautiful service. After the service was over and while sailing over to the other side of the lake, the local sailors taught us a native Israeli dance to Israeli music which ...

... and back. What a way to start!! Not sure if I picked up a bug or just jet lag. Either way, it has been no fun!! I'm up now but still not feeling 100%.

I promise to get my first thoughts and such down in the next day or two as I feel better. I'm also having some problems with off loading pictures from the phone to my computer so will have to catch up there also..

... br> incongruous, seeing wild flowers pop up next to bright green weeds in desert creeks. The varying shades of green were a welcome relief to the yellows of the surrounding desert.

Ho hum. Nachal mador proved to be another desert nachal, pretty enough, very green, gradually widening until it was just a broad yellow plain. We weren't sure how far it was to the meeting point with Danon, but had a sneaking feeling it was another couple of kilometres. To ...